Assistant Professor in Games & Human Values

University of Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Utah’s Division of Games invites applications for a tenure-line Assistant Professor in Games, starting July 1, 2027, with a focus on games and human values. This hire is part of the PRESSPLAY Initiative, a major investment in faculty, facilities, and programs that aims to grow teaching and research in games.

We seek candidates whose work examines aesthetics and philosophy of games, including ontology of games, value of play in social contexts, and connections to other art

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses on games, including topics in aesthetics, ethics, the philosophy of games, and/or critical play.
• Mentor graduate students and contribute to the Division’s research profile.
• Develop and sustain an externally recognized research program in games and human values.
• Collaborate with Department of Philosophy, Kahlert School of Computing, College of Fine Arts, other units, and the Institute for Digital Experience.

Job description

The Division of Games at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-line Assistant Professor in Games, with a focus on games and human values, to begin July 1, 2027.

This hire is part of thePRESSPLAYInitiative (https://games.utah.edu/pressplay/), a $25 million, multi-year investment by the University of Utah in the faculty, facilities, and programs of the Division of Games. PRESSPLAY is growing both our teaching faculty and our research faculty, and new colleagues will help shape the next stage of games education and research at the U.

We seek a scholar whose research examines the nature and value of games and play. We are especially interested in candidates working in the aesthetics and philosophy of games: the ontology of games, the value of play in individual and social contexts, and how games relate to other art forms, including digital and interactive art. Relevant approaches include aesthetics and the philosophy of art from the analytic tradition that complement our existing strengths in that area.

The successful candidate will build an externally recognized research program and will teach undergraduate and graduate courses on games, which may include topics in aesthetics, ethics, the philosophy of games, and/or critical play. They will mentor graduate students and work with Division leadership and faculty to strengthen the study of games as a cultural and human practice across our curriculum. We welcome candidates whose work connects with our collaborative efforts with the Department of Philosophy, the Kahlert School of Computing, the College of Fine Arts, the other units within the College of Architecture and Planning, or the University’s planned Institute for Digital Experience.